Method of making a metal container for beer



July 7, 1936.

A. KRONQUEST METHODOF MAKING A METAL CONTAINER FOR BEER Filed May 11,. 954

3 wucm km Patented July 7, 1936 METKOD OF MAKING A DIETAL FOR BEER t Alfred L. Kronquest, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor'to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N; I3, a corporation of New York Application May 11, 1934, Serial No.-72 5.1s4

1 Qlaim. (01. 113-121) The invention relates tonew and useful improvements in a method of making metal containers for beer. It is well known that beer when 'pl'aced in a metal container, if it comes in contact with the metal, a chemical reaction occurs resulting in clouding the beverage. An object of the present invention is to provide a method of maklng a container whereby every particle of 1 metal with which the beer, under pressure can contact with, is covered by a coat-- ing whichhas no clouding effect upon the beer.

In the drawing i Figure 1 is a side view of the container made by the improved method;

Fig.2 is an enlarged sectional view through.-

the end closures and the body'of the container prior to the joining-of the parts and after said parts have been coated preparatoryto joining; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the seamswith the parts loosely engaged in order to show the extent to which the coating which will not cloud the beer is carried into the seam, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of the seam in itsfinished form.

The container for the beer is made of sheet metal, and it includes a body portion which is indicated at l. This body portion 'is preferably made of tin. The sheet of tin'is cutto the proper size and is formed into a cylindrical body. The edges are joined by either a lock and lap or a lap seam to which solder is applied so as to make a tight seam. After't he can body is thus formed,

it is flanged. This is accomplished by turning the metal at each end thereof outwardly into a projecting flange which is substantially at right angles to thebody portion. This flange is of the usual type and serves as a means for the lioi-ning of the ends to the body. The body, so

- far, is formed in the usual manner. In carrying out the method of the present invention, the body is then coated on theinside throughout the entire extent and substantially to the peripheral edges of the flanges, with .a coating which has can body after it is formed by flowing or by spraying, and which, upon drying, will produce a set coating covering the entire inner surface of the metal and the flanges, or the greater portion thereof. It is not desirable to use a coat- 5 4 ing which must be set by the application of heat exceeding 250 F., for the. reason that the side seam containing solder is likely to be affected by the heating operation so as to cause a leak in, the side sea-111.:

=In Fig. 2 of the drawing, the body I is shown as having a coating 2 applied to its inner wall and extending all thevway to the outer edges 'of A the flanges 3, 3. As noted above, it may terhiinate short of the outer edge, but it should 15 extend well beyond the curved portion joining the flange to the body wall, so that the coating, when the seam is formed, will extend into the seam formation. The lower end of the container. is indicated at 4. This is formed of sheet metal which may be coated in the manner above described, but it is preferable to coat this end after I it has been shaped in a die press with an enamel which may be set by the application of ,heat, for the reason that in the handllng'of the end, 25 it is almost necessary to contact with the enameled face, and unless the enamel is hard and capable of resisting scratching. when contacting with other parts, damage is likely to occur so that-the coating will not be aflected to prevent 30 the clouding of the beer. If 'the coating is scratched or broken so that the beer may reach through and contact with the metal, it is likely to cloud. f 1

The coating on the end I is indicated at 5.. 35 This end is provided with the usual annular channel 6, and in this channel is placed a sealing gasket 1, which likewise is of a substance that will not cloud the beer. If the end 4 is coated .with an asphalt base such as used on the body of 40 the container, it may be that the sealing gasket I will not be necessary. The coating material itself will seal the joint formed between the endand the body wall by the rollingof the metal parts into a double seam. After the end is pre- 5 pared in the manner/above described, it is placed on the body in the usual waywith the flange 3 extending into the channel'G of the end, and then the parts are rolled'intoa double seam as indicated in Figures 3-and 4. f

The closure end may be made similar to the bottom end, but it is preferably made so as to provide a pouring mouth similar to a bottle mouth. As shown in Fig.2, this upper closure end is indicated at 8, and it is drawn so as to provide a mouth portion 9 having a circumferential bead illat its upper end adapted to receive and retain the ordinary crownseai for hermetically closing the container. This end, as noted above, may be otherwise shaped and otherwiseclosed. It is provided with a peripheral channel portion I I. After the end is drawn to the shape just described, it is then coated by flowing, a

. coating thereon, or by spraying as indicated at 10 I2. This coating may be of an asphalt base, but

coating, when the end is made from tin plate,

metal. This coating extends all the way to the loosely rolled .together, ior the purpose of illuswill be covered by the coating, and there will be e a smooth, hard surface completely covering the metal on the inner face thereof, and preventing the beer from, in. any way contacting with the edge of the lip at the-mouth of the container, and it, extends preferably into the channel and all the way across the channel. In 'the channel I I may be placed a sealing material I! of the usual character. As noted above, if the asphalt coating is used, it is possible that the sealin Basket will 'not be necessary. After the end has been formed in the manner above described, it is then applied to the container body, and the coated flange 3 will contact with the sealing material. lfin the channel portion llof this end 8. v After the parts are thus applied, then the flange and the channel portion I I are subjected'to the curling action ofa seaming: roll, and the parts rolled into a double seam. A

In Fig. 3'01 the draw n a cross sectional view I through one of the seams joining the end members to the body wall is shown, with the parts trating more clearly the extent to which the coat ing on;the inner faces of the end and the body wall are carriedinto the double seam. In this view, the body wall 2 is shown asextended into. the double seam as indicatedat 2a. The iiange of the end is rolled into the double seam as indi-. cated at-Ila. The sealing material issliown in a general/way at l3. It will be noted that the coating I! on the end 8 extends all the way around in the, double seam, practically to the end of the turned in portion Ila. Likewise, the coating 2 'on the body wall extends all the way scratched or marred or fractured during the handling thereof.- It is the usual practice in the making of metal cans to make and flange-a body in one line of machines, to make the ends in another, and after they are prepared to feed the ends along guideways so that they are assembled on the body for seaming. In the making of the beer can described, the can body after it is'flanged is passed to a machine where it is coated, and it is then dried and the coating set ready for the finishing of the can body. The ends are coated and the coating thereon set or baked, and then the ends are placed on the can body just as it comesjrom the drier where the coating is set, so

that during the travel of the can body and the 15 ends along. the guideways to the seaming machine, the ends and the body are assembled, and the parts of the can body Ind the end coming in contact with the guide rails along which it passed,

- is the outer surface of metal forming these parts. 20

ends all the way to the edges of the curled,;pora0 "tionsbefore theparts are united, nevertheless,

it is of an advantage in that it protects the coating and gives the double assurance that the nuished can body will have a coated surface, unbroken, extending all the way out into the seams joining the parts. I

While-the invention has beendescribed as particularly useful in the forming of a metal container for the storing and the sale of beer,-it will be understood that it may be used in connection with otherbeverages ahd other products where it is desired to maintain the product out of contact with the metal.

It is obvious that changes in' the stepsoi' th I methodflescribed above and of the coatingof the can parts, and changes in the steps of the method described in the handling of the metal parts, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l amund'to the end,ot the curled-in portion In. L The method 1 making sheet metal-containers.

If the beer in the container which is under pres-. sure wbrks its way into the double seam, it does 5 not contact with the metal, but it still contacts Many efforts have been made to coat the coilwith these coated walis which extend into the double seam.

'tainer after the ends are secured to the body wall. 2 When the beer is sterilized to a temperature of 141v F., considerable internal pressure is developed which, of course, varies in proportion to the percentage of 00:18: p T 1151181 D sure is around ninety pounds per square inch, and this has-the effect of bulging the ends or the ordinary container outwardly,';therebycausinga separation of the enamel between the can end and the body wall when the can is coated after the ends have been secured'to the body wall.

There is another step in the'm'ethod of make; ing the container which is preferably employed in order to insure that the inner coated surfaces of the ends and the body will not, in any way, be

applying to said channel portions on the ends a plastic sealing material, placing the ends on the coated body portion and subjecting said body and assembled endssto a seaming operation at room temperature for curling the peripheral edge tions of seams.

the ends and can body into h m et.

7 L. -KRONQUBT,

ontoandsubg stantially across the channel portions of the ends, 

